With the launch of the Amazfit Bip 5, Amazfit has updated its range of budget smartwatches.
The successor to the Bip 3 (you didn't miss a single one) brings with it a larger, curved screen and departs from the older, slightly slimmer look of the Bip.
The display is a huge 1.91-inch square, but it still uses a TFT panel instead of a full AMOLED panel.
The AMOLED display is the brightest and highest quality display technology used in Apple Watch, Galaxy Watch and other high-end smartwatches. The TFT-LCD panel is significantly darker and of inferior quality, but above all it is cheaper.
The resolution is a rather unattractive 320 x 380, which could be better considering the size of the screen. So, sharp image quality is the reward for choosing an entry-level Amazfit watch.
But it offers excellent value for money.
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It has built-in GPS with four satellite systems, making it a good fit for runners. This year, Amazfit released a version of the Bip 5 Pro that has GPS, so anyone can use this feature.
Amazfit also promises a battery life of 10 days, which is about a week with normal to heavy use.
It's essentially the same offering as the Bip 3 but in a slimmer package. This time, however, the price has increased slightly. It costs $89.99 / £89.99, which is much closer in price to the $100 / £100 Amazfit GTS 4 Mini with full AMOLED display.
The Bip range has always been our go-to choice for budget smartwatches, thanks in part to the Amazfit platform. But the price hike brings it closer to the rest of the Amazfit range and it's not such an easy choice now.
The specs look good, but we'd still go with the AMOLED display, and the Amazfit GTS 4 Mini is only $100.
This comes at the same time that Xiaomi is launching a budget smartwatch under the Redmi brand. The Redmi Watch 3 Active has a 1.83 inch TFT display and costs only €49.99 in Europe.
So it looks like Amazfit is stepping out of the race to the bottom in smartwatch prices and maintaining its position as a premium offering.
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